Body, Soul, and Blood
by RikaAltraz
Summary: AU. When the forming crew of the Strawhat Pirates find a island with an prisoner and set her free, are they in for more than they can take? Sure, their crew will be strong, but at what cost? Zoro thinks he can handle the new power on their ship, Luffy has faith in him, but the rest are just a little unsure. Zoro/Oc, Sanji/Nami, (Ace/OC on side).
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Gem felt it as someone stepped onto her island.

Was it that time already?

She wondered what kind of story he'd tell her about this time.

Something exciting to while away the years again?

She stared up at the glittering dome of her prison.

The stones glowed from the energy running through them.

Energy from the sun was faint down here on the bottom layer.

The oceans were thicker.

Nothing grew right.

She was surprised anyone could be happy down here.

She wished she could go back to the surface layer again.

Out of all the places to trap her on this hellish planet, they had to keep her here, on the First Tier.

She looked at the map of the world she had carved onto the walls with her own claws.

It was a rough sketch, but it was hers.

She heard the sound of voices.

Not his.

But there was another voice that resonated within her.

His was deep, vibrant, full of life.

He sounded young, but strong and already a little hardened by the world.

Her map glowed where she had used the natural minerals to give herself a real sense of the world.

The tiny sphere in the middle glowed dull, the progression increasing in brightness as she'd carved the next five rings. Then the last she had spent so much time on.

Twenty years ago she had lived there. On the Seventh Tier.

Not trapped here to rot away slowly. Alive.

That place was as beautiful as anything.

Lit by the sun, not filtered through the glow stones as they absorbed light from the previous layer.

It made her dread what a lower layer would be like.

Gem flexed her claws as she heard the voices getting closer as they managed to not set off the traps Mihawk had set to keep her in and everyone else out.

She laid on her stone table, unable to use her Enigma power so long as the chain on her wrists and ankles and the collar around her neck held. These had been specially formed for her Draconian side to not be affected though.

 **xXx**

Zoro shoved against the stone blocking the next room.

He took the lantern from Nami and stepped inside.

It was like nothing he'd ever seen before.

It wasn't the treasure Nami was hoping for, but it was definitely something worthwhile.

He stared into the cell, looking at the carvings on the wall.

It was a map of the Tiers.

He reached for the gate as he saw a body on the table.

He paused as Nami touched his hand and pointed at warnings carved into the wall.

"What do those say?" She asked.

He held the lantern up to them as Usopp and Luffy followed them into the tiny area outside the cell.

He read out loud. "'If you made it here, good for you. How many you lost doing so, that's a warning in itself. I laid these traps in the hope you don't read this. If you are, I have failed. But don't be fooled by the glittering gems inside the cage. She is there for a reason and shall stay there for eternity. Her words might seem sweet and gentle, but her violence leaves no man alive. You might as well take the box to the side and remove your dead before I come back. I hate the smell of dried blood.'"

"Seriously? All that shit for this? It's like maybe a million in cash, from the right buyer." Nami motioned at the box full of shoddy jewels.

Zoro ignored her.

Gems in the cage?

There were no jewels that he could see in the light.

He caught a flash of movement as Luffy went to open the cage.

He jerked on his captains shirt as a scaled, clawed hand lashed out to pull him in.

He held up the light and it moved to stay in the dark.

"What are you?" He asked.

His only response was a hiss of scales on stone before a Dragon became visible in the faint light.

He glanced at the table. The body was gone.

The Dragon paced its cage.

It held a slight limp in the rear left foot.

He moved to the gate instead and hooked the lantern he carried.

"You guys get back to the ship. I'll handle this." Zoro said as he motioned them to leave.

Nami ordered Luffy and Usopp to pick up the box of cheap jewels and she gave one last worried look at him before leaving.

Not that she should be worried.

Even ignoring his immortal blood, he was stronger than a lot of humans out there.

He faced the Dragon within the cage.

As he reached for the gate, it scraped claws on stone.

"I'll come to you." He said with a half smile. This might be fun.

 **xXx**

Gem didn't want to hurt him, this man with the body made for sin and the smile that made her hot.

All her life sailing after Roger raised her as his own, she had never seen anyone quite like this man.

As a Dragon, she could see his aura.

That clash of black and green and red from his Vampire blood to the Draconian to the faint bit of human in him running in his veins was blinding.

He spent a great deal pretending he was human. It made that bright, sickening shade of red strongest, but it also made him weak. To her.

She paced as he quickly stepped inside.

She shifted forms as she launched at him, hoping the change would startle him.

Her skin just barely touched the partially drawn blade as he held it against her neck.

She hadn't seen him move.

Her Draconian violence was overpowering.

Normally that race was peaceful. But for some reason, the blending of Draconian and Enigma was dangerous.

It had been considered taboo before her parents, and definitely since she'd been born.

Her birth had sealed her fate.

The mix of her blood was volatile but powerful.

If she could only tame her Draconian nature, then her people would truly fear her.

She felt herself move back.

He still stood between her and the exit.

Her body finally took in a breath and her lungs were filled with his scent.

Salt of the ocean, metal of his blades, and the combination of heat from his Draconian blood, with the cool of his Vampire and the oddness from his human drops.

The oddness was more than just from his human blood. It was his personal scent now.

That mix of cool vanilla with a stronger cover of natural warm smoke.

It was odd, but strangely soothing.

A little sweet, but with the headiness of burning wood.

No, that wasn't his human blood. It was his human blood trying to mix the other parts of him.

She stumbled as her vision went cloudy.

Her Draconian self was getting overwhelmed as he stood there.

Gem was glad as she started to faint.

She knew her Draconian side was realizing what her Enigma half did from the start.

This man was her other half.

The perfect match to her soul.

 **xXx**

Zoro watched her stumble as her eyes hazed over.

She looked like she hadn't eaten in days.

Maybe longer.

This place looked like a cross between a tomb and a prison.

Though he supposed for some prisons, there wasn't much difference.

He moved forward as her golden eyes started to close.

He reached out and caught her as she fainted.

What had she been thinking, attacking anyone like that?

He looked her over.

Her dress was faded and tattered.

As if she had been in it for a few years now.

No, as short as it was, he'd guess from when she was little.

Just how old was she when she was imprisoned?

He reached to clip his sword back to his haramaki and then put his arm under her legs.

He almost stumbled himself at how weightless she was.

She was deathly undernourished.

He took in a breath as he steadied himself now that she had changed to a fully human form.

It was a mix of Draconian heat and pure rose.

Zoro held her carefully as he moved to grab the lantern again.

He carried her out of the cell.

She didn't even flinch at the sound of the door opening.

She was really out of it.

He focused on her again as he moved past the disarmed traps.

Her hair was a little messy, but it was a beautiful black against her pale skin.

She was absolutely gorgeous.

She settled in his arms as he made his way back to the ship.

When the sunlight hit him again, he blinked.

As he looked down, he gasped.

Her hair and skin looked dusted with a rainbow of tiny specks of color.

Not enough to really distract, but enough that it added to her beauty.

He climbed up on the ship and as he was laying the girl down on the deck, Luffy came over.

"This that Dragon?"

"Yeah, she's Draconian." He said.

And something else, but until he found out what, he would keep it to himself.

Luffy looked at her.

"She looks sick."

"I think she hasn't eaten in a long while." Zoro nodded as Nami came to the lower deck.

They had a small caravel to sail in, with every possible space jammed with some room.

The two floors below the main lower deck held the storage and bedrooms. Aside from the slightly larger room Nami had taken at the back of the ship, the other six above the storage at the bottom were the size of closets.

He didn't need much more than the bed it held and the chest he put his stuff in and used as a table.

Luffy wanted to put more crew members on the ship though and eventually it was going to get crowded.

The front cabin held some cannons and related gear as well as a spare sail and other things a ship would need for repairs.

The back lower cabin held the bathroom and room Nami had claimed for her chart drawing.

The back upper room was a kitchen with the steering and basic gathering room thrown inside one small space.

All in all, it was tiny.

But after Luffy had rescued him from the Marines execution ground on Shell Island, he wasn't about to complain.

It was better than the rowboat they'd set sail in.

"You brought that Dragon with you?" Nami snapped at him.

He turned to look at her with a glare.

"And you just wanted me to leave someone helpless and trapped to die?"

"Someone obviously comes back regularly." Nami hissed.

Zoro shook his head with a scoff.

"Obviously someone who doesn't care that she's in there. You heard me read that warning. They meant to keep her there forever."

"Because she is dangerous."

He started to pick her up and they all went silent as she made a small sob before curling into his chest.

He cradled her.

"Some monster." He huffed as he moved for the hatch that lead below deck.

 **xXx**

Gem opened her eyes to a soft glow from a solar lantern.

She took a deep breath of that addicting scent.

For the first time in her life since Roger was killed, she didn't feel crazy.

No clawing inside her to be free, no roaring in her head, nothing from her Draconian bloodlust.

She reached to touch her head and felt it settling in with her Enigma powers. For the first time, she felt it fade into dust and blend into the power in her. Making her stronger, yet not unstable.

"You feeling better?" She looked over at a man sitting on the floor cleaning his blades.

That green haired swordsman who calmed her Draconian blood.

He had shed his shirt and had a towel draped around his neck.

He looked fresh from a bath as he finished cleaning unused swords.

No, the ocean air demanded he clean them often down here.

"Do you understand me?" He asked.

She nodded.

She started to get up and went to move her feet to get up.

The chains binding her brought back the memories of seeing Roger walking proud to his death.

His crew had never set foot on the island he was to be killed on, as per his request. But Mihawk couldn't say no to letting her say goodbye to the only man other than her parents to care for her as if she were his own daughter.

Even in chains he'd held her long enough for the Marines to break a little.

Those two men had honestly felt bad for killing him. But having such a dangerous man loose was like tempting fate.

Mihawk had taken her away and her people bound her in her cell from the time she was seventeen.

He visited several times a year from his home on the Fourth Tier.

Said he liked the atmosphere of that level.

Every time he came, he brought her another present.

Rayleigh gave her numerous charms for the bracelet she wasn't allowed to wear.

She always got yet another of Roger's mementos that were mostly just the jewels he'd hidden with Rayleigh for her.

Plus, Mihawk himself always seemed to leave a dried rosebud in the box as a sign that she still wasn't mature yet.

"You feeling okay?"

She focused again and realized he was kneeling in front of her, holding the cuffs that had been on her ankles.

Gem nodded.

"I didn't mean to scare you with the cuffs, I just didn't want you getting far before I could get back. I figured you'd be a bit frightened of such a new place."

She looked around the tiny room.

What was there to fear?

Only her fear of small spaces.

"Can you speak?" He asked.

She shook her head and started to rub at the layers of dirt and grime that blocked his vision.

He sat back as he saw it.

The huge scar that cut across her throat.

The one her people had given her in their attempt to kill her.

If Mihawk hadn't come by that day, she'd long been dead.

He hadn't feared her violence.

All he'd wanted was to remove the device they had placed around her neck to contain her power.

They had thought it would be enough to put it around her neck. But they didn't realize when she shifted, the Runes on it that flowed with the dampener prevented it from shifting with her.

She had changed and nearly died.

She could still remember being seventeen and feeling her blood flow as her throat was torn open by the broken metal.

As a Dragon. It had cut through hardened skin and scales.

Mihawk had sliced his hand badly as she'd faded in and out while he removed it.

He'd stayed for days, sitting in her prison with her, until she woke again.

It had been the first time since Roger died that anyone had held her close.

He had honestly feared her death.

He admitted that he came because her parents asked him.

As one of the only men the Marines couldn't kill outright, he was the only one who could be the go-between for them. Her people couldn't just kill the old Vampire for no reason either.

He had stayed with her until she was healed, feeling the pain with her as she'd lost her voice.

This new man reached up and traced over it with his thumb.

The warmth of his hand was amazing.

She leaned into his touch.

"Whoever did this should die. Horribly." He mumbled.

He pulled his hand back.

"At any rate, you could use a decent bath and a meal. I'll show you the bathroom and get you some new clothes." He said.

She nodded and he stood to lead her out.

 **xXx**

Zoro led her from his room.

It had been the only place he could think of earlier to put her that was comfortable.

The empty rooms were that, empty. Of even a spare set of bedsheets for the mattresses.

She couldn't stay in anyone else's room. Usopp had too much junk, Luffy's was a mess.

Nami didn't trust her to not go crazy.

So he had left her in his room and his Vampire side was roiling thanks to it.

It wanted her blood.

More than any other he could have ever had, this girl set him off.

Something about her blood screamed power.

She was something else alright. Even Luffy's faint Draconian blood didn't trigger it.

She followed him to the ladder up to the deck.

As he climbed up, he looked back down at her.

"Come on, it's alright." He said.

She nodded up at him before starting up the ladder.

As she took his hand, he pulled her up.

She was so light.

He'd always thought Draconians were supposed to be bulky, but she and Luffy both proved that wrong. Maybe others were.

She stood on the deck as he lowered her to her feet.

Her eyes went to the sky above them.

It was beautiful, that dusting of glowing light like long forgotten stars.

He had read books where he learned that what others believed as stars were nothing more than glowing stones radiating the faint light from the real stars above the Seventh Tier.

Even so, it was pretty.

She stared.

"It's not the same, is it?" He asked.

She shook her head and he turned to lead her to the bath.

He went to the line hung up across the room.

It was actually for clothes, but Nami hung charts on it unless they needed it.

He was actually kind of lucky he'd done laundry that morning.

He pulled off a shirt and pants for her and motioned for her to keep following as he took a set of towels from the shelf beside the door.

"I didn't use much of the hot water earlier, so there should still be some in the tank."

She frowned as he set the stuff on the counter for her.

Zoro watched her look at the tank above a metal lined stove.

It was something they were all careful of, not burning the ship.

He opened the lid and the steam came up.

"Yeah, you should be able to fill that small tub and get a good soak."

As he turned for the door again she caught his hand.

He faced her again.

She looked afraid.

"Alright, I'll fill it up for you and when you're done, just leave it and I'll drain it too." He said.

He went back to the tank and pulled out the plug at the bottom.

The water flowed out into the small tub.

There was barely enough room for him to relax a little bit. But for such a tiny thing like her, there was more than enough.

He heard her behind him as she shrugged out of the tattered dress.

He capped the hole again tightly and turned.

His mind momentarily went blank but he forced himself to head for the door.

She grabbed his wrist again.

"You want me to stay?"

He felt the slight flush on his cheeks.

No woman had ever been this bold before.

Granted he'd only had about a dozen in his short life, but all had preferred he not look at them while having sex.

He wasn't sure if they'd been embarrassed over themselves or doing it with a bounty hunter who paid.

Yeah, he'd admit it, he'd hit up a couple brothels in the past few years since he left the dojo at fifteen to find Mihawk and challenge the current best Swordsman in the world.

The girl nodded.

He moved to sit on the floor with his back to the tub to give her a little of the privacy she obviously didn't seem to want.

He heard her slip into the tub though.

"Soap is in that dish." He motioned to the one on the wall behind him under the window. "You'll have to get the cloth wet first to get much from it though."

It was almost painful to listen to her scrub at the dirt she was coated with.

Did she have no idea the effect her body had on a normal man's libido?

Damn, he was glad he wore loose pants.

Though, the thought that she'd soon be wearing a pair of his pants didn't help the matter.

He waited until she stood up to hand her the towel.

He stood up and avoided looking directly at her until she touched his bare back.

'You can have me.' The soft, gentle voice in his head was no more than a whisper.

He turned around.

"Was that you?" He frowned.

The towel covered all of her, for which he was grateful.

She nodded. 'I created a link between us. To speak to you.'

"In my head?"

She nodded.

She looked at the clothes.

'You seemed worried about not seeing me, but I wanted to make sure you knew that I'll be yours.'

"Damn." He rubbed a hand over his face. "You don't even know me."

She laughed in his head.

'An Enigma needs nothing of the sort. Once we find the one meant for us, we bond for life. You...you are my other half.' She blushed.

He sighed. "You don't even know my name."

 **xXx**

Gem titled her head to the side.

'I can learn.' She said.

He held out his hand. "Zoro." He said.

She took it in both of hers, not caring that the towel was going to slip.

'Gem.'

He flushed as the towel fell away from her.

"Sheesh, at least pretend to be shy." He mumbled as he looked away.

'I would never let another man look at me. Only you.'

He actually faced her again.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

She nodded and brought his hand to her cheek to nuzzle his palm.

His touch was warm, a little rough, but perfect. Rather...a lot like Mihawk and Roger. But more Mihawk.

Because he was also a swordsman.

'You calmed my Draconian blood, therefore, you really are my other half.' She said.

He sighed.

"Fine, but get dressed and lets get some food for you before we talk any more."

He pulled his hand away and she smiled.

He was nervous.

Because of her supposed beauty?

Mihawk had said that she would be devastating compared to any other, but she didn't believe him. He was biased.

She pulled the pants and shirt on as he drained the tub.

When he turned back, he nodded in approval.

"Finally, something decent on you."

He reached to help her tie the pants so they'd stay up.

He started to lead her out of the bathroom and hung the towel on the line holding more of his clothes.

He led her up to the kitchen and she saw three others.

"So, she's awake." A woman said from the head of the table.

Was she the captain of the ship?

"Gem, meet the crew. The one in the overalls is Usopp, he's a liar and a damn good marksman."

The man looked a little torn between the liar remark and the complement. But she took in his natively tanned skin and pointed nose and poofy dark hair and guessed he was born from someone from higher up.

Zoro pointed to a pale skinned younger man with wild straight black hair under a straw hat that was very familiar.

His cheerful smile was contagious.

"That is our captain and resident idiot and future King of the Pirates, Luffy."

The boy laughed at being called an idiot. He clearly didn't care or knew his ways were a little off kilter.

"And the redheaded thief navigator is Nami."

She looked at the other woman.

Was she scared or nervous?

Something in the way she acted had Gem on edge.

"Guys, this is Gem. She'll be staying with me, I'll keep her out of trouble, and you won't have to worry about her."

"Can she fight?" Luffy asked.

Gem frowned as she looked at the kitchen.

"Lets let her get used to not being locked up first, alright?" Zoro asked.

Luffy nodded with a little disappointment.

Zoro moved into the kitchen and collected up enough to make her a sandwich.

Nothing but a piece of meat and slice of cheese on bread, but she wasn't even sure she could stomach it.

He held it out to her and she took it.

"So is she going to go nuts on us?" Nami asked as Gem took a hesitant bite.

"No, I've got it covered."

"Right because monsters are your specialty." The woman snapped.

Gem felt her claws dig into the bread as she forced herself to swallow.

It felt like her insides were shrunken.

That one bite was as much as she could handle. She set the rest on the table.

"Oddly enough, yes, they are. But she isn't a monster Nami, she's a scared woman who was caged for years. We can afford to take her with us until she wants to leave."

"And if she never does?"

"We'll have a new crew mate." Luffy sounded excited.

She finally placed where his hat came from.

It had been Rogers before he left it with Shanks.

She had been young when Shanks left the crew to set off on his own. Roger used to joke that Shanks was basically a younger version of himself.

She moved to Luffy and tugged his hat off.

He started to reach for it before she let tears fall on it as she traced fingers over the red sash.

"Do you know the story behind this?" Luffy asked.

She nodded.

"You knew Shanks?"

She nodded again.

'A little. From when I was young. Before he left Rogers crew and got this hat from him.'

Zoro explained for her and that she could speak telepathically with him.

"Wow...you knew the King of the Pirates." Luffy sounded amazed.

She held the straw hat up and under the human scent of Luffy tinged with Draconian, under Shanks, she could still catch a whiff of Roger.

Her adoptive father.

She crushed it to her as she dropped to the floor and cried.

Even twenty years wasn't enough to dull the pain.

Zoro knelt to hold her.

"Why is she crying?" Luffy asked.

Zoro sighed.

"I'd guess...Roger was her father. Well, adoptive." He said.

Luffy moved to the floor too and sat beside her.

"I know how hard it is to lose family." He said. "I lost an oath brother years ago and even now, it still hurts to remember him. And Shanks was like family too before he left me to go to the Seventh Tier."

Gem felt him lean his head on her shoulder as Usopp knelt in front of her.

"I lost my mother a long time ago too, but I just keep smiling for her. I know she would want me to sail the seas like my father is."

Zoro laughed. "And that is the truth."

She heard him look at the last of the group.

"What about you? Lose anyone? Can you feel her pain?"

"It's none of your business." She snapped.

Gem felt Zoro move to pick her up and she held the hat back to Luffy.

'Roger would want you to have it.'

Zoro relaid her message.

Luffy tugged it down on his head.

"He was such an awesome Pirate. It's so cool knowing this was his before Shanks got it."

Zoro carried her back out and down to the main deck.

She pushed away to stand up.

"It's alright to be sad when remembering someone you lost." He said as he led her back down to his room.

He motioned for her to sit down on the bed.

 **xXx**

Zoro sat on the chest and pulled out the white sheathed sword.

"This was an heirloom of the dojo I trained at. Kuina was set to become the next head and there was talk of even an arraigned marriage between her and me. She was a girl, and where I come from, girls can't be powerful swordsmen, or dojo masters." He scowled. "I never once beat her, in all my years of training until I was ten. She was the best. She was my goal."

Gem looked at him as he pulled out the blade.

"She had just kicked my ass again the night before. The following day we were supposed to be sat down about the marriage. She knew it was an important thing, but she hadn't known what. Just that this sword was present at every important meeting she'd had with her father." He took a deep breath as he remembered the moment her father had pulled him out of training with the rest of the boys.

"She climbed up to get it from the shelf and lost her footing. The doctor said she broke her neck on the fall. All over this stupid sword. Her dream of being the best was gone. My dream of beating her. None of it mattered to me anymore." He looked at the sheath as he put the sword away. "I was pretty bad back then. It took almost three months for them to pull me back out again. Her father had been a surrogate father to me as well and he cried with me when she died. It took a couple weeks for me to finally accept that she was gone."

Zoro looked at her. "But once I came out of that slump, I knew what I had to do. I begged him to give me her sword and I vowed that I'd carry it with me on my journey to become the greatest swordsman in the world. Because if I did it with this sword, it'd be like saying I did it with her. I don't believe in ghosts or gods, but I do believe that as long as I have this sword, she still supports me."

Gem moved to sit beside him.

'I'm sure she's watching over you, proud of how far you've gotten.'

He laughed. "More like pissed I became I bounty hunter, then a Pirate."

'Maybe both. You're strong, even for a Vampire.'

"Yeah right. I refuse to use that blood in me. I never revealed it to the dojo or her father or even her. I never will use that blood."

'You'll need to to be the best. You need to put all your skills on that fight and believe me, Mihawk is not a Vampire you can take lightly.' She leaned against him.

"I'll beat him without using anything but my human strength. Prove that it doesn't matter what I am."

She looked up to kiss his neck.

'And you are a Vampire. You'll need to accept it. It'll only make you stronger.'

He scoffed.

'Try biting me.' She said.

He stood up.

"Not a chance in hell, I have never and will never bite anyone."

She glared at him.

He looked down at her.

Her blood called to him, but he could resist it.

'Fine. Continue being weaker than even Luffy.'

He scowled at that.

"Am not."

'You sound like a child.' She said.

"And you want to change who I am."

'No!' She stood up to face him. 'I want you to accept what you are.'

"Why? It doesn't matter."

'You'll keep letting the urges hit you, fighting them back. Until when? You spill blood you can't resist?'

She held up a claw to her neck.

"Don't you dare."

He watched as she nicked herself with the claw.

The scent of her blood filled the room.

He covered his mouth.

'I'm yours, body, soul, and blood. You can drink from me whenever. If you want to be able to use that Vampire strength without fear of losing to cravings, then drink from me whenever you want.'

He glared at her.

"You are crazy."

She smiled.

'Crazy enough to have an idiot Vampire as my mate. Yeah.'

He swallowed as he watched the thin trail of blood seep from her neck.

Damn.

He leaned towards her.

 **xXx**

Gem knew she won.

He'd be stronger after he stopped resisting his Vampire blood.

She felt him lick the trail of blood before sinking fangs into her neck.

It sent a prick of pain through her body for just a moment.

But then she felt his warmth as he slowly wrapped his arms around her.

As he drank her blood, she could feel how gently he held her.

She felt a little lightheaded as he pulled his fangs free and licked over the wound.

His saliva would help heal it faster.

"You're insane." He mumbled.

She smiled as he went to let her go.

She couldn't hold her own weight and he instantly lowered her to the bed.

'If I am to have a mate, I want him to be strong enough to fight for whatever he wants.'

"Fine, I get it. But if we're doing this thing..." She watched him flush slightly. "There's going to be some rules."

She looked up at him as she turned to lay on her side.

"One, I'm not drinking anyone's blood but yours. Two, you won't stop me from my goal. And three, I won't be with anyone else while we are together."

She reached out as he sat on the side of the bed.

'I won't ever show my body to anyone but you, I will only do what is best for you, and I will never allow anyone to stop you from getting your dream.' She took his hand.

He sighed.

"Good enough for me."

She smiled.

"You should get some rest. I've got watch tonight."

He headed for the door after pulling his blanket over her.

She watched him leave, admiring him from behind.

She supposed it could be worse.

She could not really know him and hate how he looked.

Instead, she had gotten lucky enough that he was attractive to her.

Some women might prefer less bulky, like Luffy or Usopp. But Gem had always liked muscle and strength. Maybe because it reminded her of the one period in her life she'd felt safe.

Most of Rogers crew had been fairly well built. He had once prided himself on having a strong crew. Not just physically though. His crew had been as close as brothers.

They had all treated her like family. Enough that when she almost got hurt trying to climb up to the crows nest, they had scolded her like older brothers and kept it a secret for a week from Roger.

She smiled as she remembered how angry he'd been at all of them.

Gem let Zoro's scent surround her as she snuggled in to sleep, shedding the pants and kicking them to the floor.

 **xXx**

Zoro sighed as he leaned against the railing.

"Don't fall asleep on us." Nami said as she came up to the front deck.

He scoffed.

"You're probably biased, but what do you judge her mental state to be?" Nami asked.

"Well...she's afraid, lonely, probably free for the first time in a long time." He shrugged. "Yeah, she was violent before, but I've heard rumors that some Draconian mixes are more temperamental than others. She's part Draconian, part Enigma. That makes for a volatile mix."

"So she is dangerous." Nami went to turn away.

"No. She's calmed down. She was violent before because she didn't have anyone to calm her. Apparently I do that to her. We've come to an agreement that I'll be with her as long as she wants, but she'll need to work on controlling herself." Zoro said. "She'll only be dangerous if anything happens to me."

"You're sure you can keep her under control?"

Zoro nodded. "It might take a bit of working with her, but she's not panicking at being in a tiny space just because she's in my room right now."

"So she's pretty infatuated with you? At least someone is."

He grinned. "Just because you don't want me doesn't mean no one does. Obviously I'm good enough for some people."

She sighed as she shook her head. "It's...not that."

He watched Nami look up. "Honestly, it isn't your attitude or looks, it's just that I've got no time right now for anyone."

"Well, I'm off the list anyway. I think Gem is fairly possessive." He shrugged.

Nami scoffed. "Probably, if she's Draconian." She turned to leave again.

He watched her wave as she went down the stairs.

He sighed as he looked out at the calm water.

He had grown up here on the First Tier. Kuina would be pretty disappointed that he hadn't gotten at least to Second or Third by now.

Tonight was going to be as boring as any other average day.

His watch was never entertaining unless Luffy tried to steal food.

He made his way back down nigh early in the morning since Usopp was taking the early shift so he could sleep.

As he climbed down he thought about how he had someone else in his bed.

He grinned as he opened the door and turned on the solar lantern.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

He looked to see the pants he'd given her laying on the floor.

Body, soul, and blood right?

He supposed if she was going to give herself over to him knowing he was a Pirate, he should at least do the same.

She was pretty as she laid under the thick blanket he'd stolen from the collection when they were given the Merry.

Usopp had whined about it, considering how large and warm it was, but Zoro never gave it back.

Her skin, cleaned up and fresh was almost a sort of glowing pale. The black hair was dry and slightly still a mess.

He sighed as he sat on his bed and took off his boots.

She shivered as he pulled the blanket back until he slid in beside her on the small bed.

His whole body tightened as she snuggled up against him and put her head on his arm.

He stayed on his side, letting her use his arm as a pillow and put his other arm over her waist to scoot away from the edge of the bed.

Granted, it wasn't a far fall, but he didn't like the thought of falling off. He reached behind his head to turn the lantern off again before returning his arm around her and settling in to sleep.

 **xXx**

Gem woke up to the warm skin under her fingers and opened her eyes.

Zoro had slid into bed at some point and she eased up a little to look at him.

His tanned skin was the result of being outside in even the moderate sunlight filtered down to this level.

She noticed several small, faded scars over the part of his chest she revealed.

She turned slightly to open the curtain of the tiny window in the room.

It was getting to late morning now.

She stared for a moment before looking at him in the light.

As he shifted slightly to stretch out a little, barely being able to do so in the length of the bed, she watched him.

Her hands went out and she touched the warm skin he showed as the blanket slid off a bit.

She reached to brush her hand through his hair, marveling at how soft it was.

He groaned as her hands fell back to his chest, spreading over the hard muscle he'd worked on.

She eased lower, testing how far she could go.

The way he moved under her touch was a little sexy.

She'd been taught what sex was, that men would always be attracted to her, but Roger had never let anyone touch her.

He feared her violent side coming out on any man.

But it wouldn't surface against this Vampire.

She eased her hands down to the waist of his pants and he cracked an eye at her.

"What are you doing?" He mumbled.

'What I want.' She said as she tugged on his loose pants.

He sighed as he put both hands behind his head to look at her.

Those dark green eyes were almost black.

Was he aroused or angry?

Or both?

She moved to straddle his thighs, feeling his hot skin against her own bare thighs.

She looked down for a moment.

He was aroused, but she got the feeling he was also annoyed.

At her.

She also took note of how big he was.

She knew Vampires were sexual creatures by nature, as the couple on Rogers ship used to complain when out at sea too long. No female company had driven them a little mad.

She still remembered accidentally seeing them together while playing hide-and-seek with Rayleigh when she was fifteen.

After that day, she was both interested in the act of sex and slightly scarred for life at seeing how rough they were with each other.

Though, they never did complain again.

"Do you even know what you're doing? How long were you imprisoned?"

'Twenty years, but that's not the matter.' She said.

"You'd have been what? Maybe two when they put you in there?"

'Seventeen, more than old enough to have interests. Enigma people are immortal and don't age past our prime. As Vampires and most inhuman species also mature.'

He laughed.

"Looks to me like you're a bit out of your level though." He said.

She looked up at his face.

He wore that sexy grin she had seen in her prison cell.

The one that said he knew he was going to win.

She was determined to not panic just because she wasn't sure what to do.

She looked back down at his length.

"Want me to show you?"

She felt his hand tangle in her hair as he eased up enough to put his shoulders against the wall and her head on level with him.

'I...I've never done anything before. But I want to with you.'

He groaned as he looked down at her.

"Do you even know how hot that sounds?"

She reached with both hands to touch him.

She watched him suck in his abs as she wrapped her fingers timidly around his length.

"Tighter." He wrapped his hand around hers to show her how to touch him. "Stroke."

His hand guided hers in moving.

Gem felt his hand tighten in her hair.

'This...really feels good?'

"God yes." He growled.

His voice was harsher, but she liked it.

She found it made her core tighten at the sound.

She had fantasized finding a man, but never went farther than dreaming of having someone with her.

She saw a bead of thick liquid form on the crown and touched it with her tongue.

She had seen those two Vampires do something similar.

He jolted a little and she leaned forward.

He tasted like the heat and salt of his scent.

She liked it.

She put her mouth over him and he gasped.

"You don't..." He lost his words as she licked the underside of his shaft while moving her mouth in time with their hands.

She looked up at him from where she was and watched his head fall back.

The slight sheen of sweat on his chest was sexy.

This was plenty arousing to him.

 **xXx**

Zoro felt his mind go blank for a moment as she stroked sensitive nerves with her tongue.

For someone who had never done anything like this before, she was really learning quickly.

He could feel himself ready to come, but he didn't want to in her mouth.

It was considered pretty rude by the girls he'd had before.

Maybe they just didn't know how to handle it.

Gem seemed determined to make him go over the edge.

Body, soul, and blood right?

He jerked to look down at her as she sucked.

It was far too much.

He felt his hand tighten in her hair and she moaned in his head.

He couldn't form words though as he thrust into her mouth slightly.

It took everything to not move and risk hurting her.

But he was in awe as she not only didn't recoil from his semen, she swallowed it.

He pulled away from her.

She looked at him as he dropped his hand from her hair and made her let go of him.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

'For what?' She frowned as she leaned over him and put light kisses on his chest.

How was she not repulsed by his sweat and his actions just a second ago?

"For that. I know it's nasty." He looked away from where she put an open mouthed kiss over his heart.

'How so? Have you ever tasted yourself? It's not bad, just different.'

He turned to look at her as she seemed almost intent on licking him clean.

Was that a Draconian thing?

No, she was just being affectionate.

"You...aren't disgusted?"

She looked up at him with a laugh in his head.

'I thought doing that was acceptable. I've never heard of it not being. Of course, the men used to talk pretty open out a sea and most figured that I should know how it all worked. While no one ever touched me, the stories were more than enough. And some were just funny.'

"I...was always under the impression it was bad." He sighed.

'Maybe to some women, but I like how you taste.'

He flushed a little.

She moved to straddle his thighs again and leaned in to kiss him.

He didn't deny her.

In fact, he titled his head to kiss her deeper as she closed her eyes.

He couldn't taste himself. Only the taste of rose from her.

How did she taste like rose?

Must be her Engima blood.

It made him wonder if everything about her tasted like rose, not just her blood and mouth.

As she pulled away, he took in a breath.

He looked at the light from the window.

"We should really get up." He said.

She leaned in to kiss him again.

"And I need a bath already." He mumbled.

'Alright. If we must.'

He laughed as she got up.

He watched her reach down for her pants.

Seeing her from behind left nothing to imagination.

She was wet. Just from doing that to him?

He reached to snag her wrist, feeling the chain under his fingers.

"Come with me." He turned her wrist to kiss the inside. "Take a bath with me."

She blushed and nodded.

He stood up to collect a clean shirt from the chest as she pulled on the pants.

He led the way to the room Nami had claimed.

He was met with a pile of clothes thrown at him as well as both his towels.

"You're not the only one who needs this area you know." Nami said.

"Sorry. I forgot about it after everything yesterday. Take it easy." He collected the clothes and quickly folded them up to set them on the shelf where his towels would normally be.

He led Gem into the smaller room with both the towels.

"There isn't much hot water by the way. Luffy used most of it already." Nami called through the door.

He sighed as he checked the tank.

He'd fill it after they were done.

It was still warm.

That was what mattered.

He set his shirt on the counter and watched her shed her clothes and set them up as well.

Her nipples were tight as he pulled his pants off.

He turned to pull the plug.

She knelt to watch the water fill until he got in the small tub.

"Come on." He said.

'With you?'

"That's what I said right? There's enough room." He took her hand to urge her to step in with him.

He tugged her down onto his lap. "If we get close anyway." He whispered.

She blushed as he shoved the plug back into the tank once it dripped empty.

Barely enough water for them both.

He leaned forward to catch a little pink nipple in his mouth.

If she could be bold with him, then he could with her.

Obviously she had no issue with having a physical relationship while they travelled and got to know each other's personality.

 **xXx**

Gem gasped as he pulled her tight against him.

He was already hard again.

She had felt almost uncomfortable walking to the bathroom.

Nami had scared her slightly with the sudden barrage of clothes. Though Zoro did deserve it.

She felt a little embarrassed about being in the tub with him.

It was a tight space.

He wrapped his arms around her to keep her close as he teased her breast.

It felt so unusual, but so good.

He reached down from behind her and she arched into him as he touched her folds from behind.

She tried to lean away but he held her there.

His other came back to her front and snaked between them to rub at her like she'd only touched herself once.

"Just relax." He spoke softly as she put her hands on his shoulders.

'But...this is...'

"Good. Don't worry. I'll take good care of you." He said with that grin again.

She couldn't possibly think coherently as he stroked his thumb over the nerve center.

It was too much stimulation.

He pressed a finger into her and his other hand forced her to lean in and kiss him.

She threaded her fingers into his hair to keep herself grounded as she felt her whole body coiling inside.

His tongue mimicked his finger and she had to close her eyes just to stay focused.

Looking into those dark eyes was like watching herself drown.

He pressed as he rubbed with his thumb and two fingers went deeper into her than ever.

It was just what she needed to feel herself snap inside.

 **xXx**

Zoro watched her tilt her head back and he saw the beautiful look on her face.

Cheeks flushed, lips bruised just a little, eyes barely fluttering as she clenched on his fingers.

Damn, he wanted to feel that on his cock.

As she came down from her fall, her head fell back to his shoulder.

'I...that was...'

"Not all. Just a little more and then maybe I'll put you back to bed." He whispered in her ear.

She didn't protest as he picked her up just enough to slide her down onto him.

She winced as he stretched her, but he stayed still.

'It hurts.'

"Just for a couple seconds. Let the warmth ease you."

She relaxed against him as she let his heat sink into her.

He eased her up a little, just enough to gauge her reaction.

She drew her brows together, but didn't try to get off him.

He slowly slid back in and she let out a shaky breath.

"Still hurt?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"Good. Look at me."

Those deep golden eyes opened again.

He loved the rainbow dust everywhere. Skin, hair, eyes, it was just beautiful.

She looked at him before he started to move her on him.

It was a bit harder in this tub than he'd thought with her not knowing what to do.

Her eyes flashed as she realized it wasn't painful at all.

He thrust up just a little. Never moving fast enough to splash the water.

He felt her close again, so quickly.

But she just wasn't over the edge.

He reached between them and gave a firm rub to her clit.

That was enough.

It felt like she was tightening on him impossibly, but he knew already how she was.

The feeling was more than enough to send him over the edge.

She started to let her eyes close as her orgasm hit.

"Keep looking at me." He growled.

Her eyes focused on him and she clenched harder again.

Something about looking at him while doing it was hot.

No woman had ever wanted to look at him like this.

But she was far sexier than any of them had ever been.

He'd look at her all day.

It helped that he loved the way her eyes looked like molten gold as she came on him.

As she fell back, he slowly pulled free and eased her against the tub wall gently.

He reached for the washcloth he normally used and looked at her.

She definitely deserved some pampering.

 **xXx**

Gem could finally find the mental ability to speak again.

'That was amazing.'

"I know. Nothing has ever felt that good."

She blushed.

"I'd say it's probably because you're perfect for me. You fit so damn good and react exactly the way I like."

She couldn't find the strength yet to stop him as he carefully and meticulously washed her.

As he picked her up out of the tub, he reached to wrap her in a towel.

She tried to keep herself steady as he set her on her feet.

She gripped the edge of the counter as he turned to drain the tub.

She watched him quickly dry himself and pull his pants on.

It took a moment for her to get enough strength to stand again.

He turned to her and took his time drying her.

"Feeling alright?" He asked.

She nodded.

'Just a bit tired.'

He sighed as he helped her pull her clothes on.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?"

She shook her head.

She wanted to get a feel for the crew she'd be joining.

He made her sit on a stool he pulled out and she felt more than a little spoiled as he combed through her hair.

It was the first time in a long time that anyone else had done it.

'Most people don't think of rough Pirates or Swordsmen as gentlemen.' She said.

He laughed.

"We're not a common crew either." He reached for a small drawer that had hairbands on the vanity.

'Who uses those?' She frowned. No one on board but her had hair long enough to need one.

"Well, the girl from Usopp's village who gave us this ship was intending to use it to sail around the island herself. She had long hair. Hence these. And why the room Nami has is bigger than the rest." Zoro shrugged as he pulled her hair tight, but not painfully, up on her head.

She wasn't a big fan of it, but it kept her hair out of her face.

He moved to lead her out of the bathroom once he finished cleaning up.

Nami wasn't in the other room anymore.

Gem blushed slightly, wondering if she had heard them.

'Do you think...she heard?'

He laughed low again as he pulled her to him.

"Do I care?"

'I don't want anyone to be angry that I'm with you.'

He opened the door to the main deck after hanging the towels to dry.

"Don't worry. No one will be angry about that."

Well, her people would.

But she followed Zoro out anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Zoro sighed as his two old friends danced around.

Yosaku had been on the verge of death until they came past them.

Johnny had seriously tried to rob them of food and money until he saw Zoro.

It made his head hurt as they caught Nami up and hugged her for her brilliance.

Hell, did no one question why he drank?

The kind of alcohol he usually consumed had lemon and lime juice in it.

The company wasn't quite famous, but their recipe was.

He knew it himself, he just didn't have the required talent to use it.

He rubbed his head as he looked down from the upper deck.

All this trouble because Luffy decided to work on the flag this morning.

Two small hands wrapped around him, tucking slightly into his haramaki.

He smiled as he put his left hand over both of hers.

'They will be fine soon. Between Nami's knowledge and my ability to manipulate matter, we'll have them fit to go off again soon.'

"It's not that. Really. Just...I wanted to be able to relax a bit."

'Come sit.' She pulled away and he turned around.

She moved over to where she had stolen the spare flag.

"So what are you doing with this thing?" He asked as he sat down beside her.

She picked it up and he watched her pull out a strand of hair.

It shimmered and he saw it turn white.

She unfolded the flag a little to show him where she had begun filling in the outline she had made before when she had it stretched out earlier.

It was their flag, but instead of being done in paint that would wash off, she was sewing the colored threads of her own hair on it.

"Don't make yourself bald over this. I rather like your hair."

She leaned against him for a moment before starting to work again.

He leaned against the railing, occasionally feeling her tug the fabric over his outstretched legs to see her work.

The thread of her hair reached farther than it should and he frowned.

"Are you extending that single hair?"

'Using carbon particles in the air to make it longer. I had to stop earlier because we aren't going far enough fast enough.'

He sighed.

Not having much wind here on the First Tier was kind of hard.

He heard footsteps coming up to the front deck.

His two friends dropped in front of them.

"So bro, is she why you gave up being a Bounty Hunter?" Yosaku asked.

"I would definitely quit if I found love in one of my bounties." Johnny added.

He watched Gem blush slightly and focus more on her work.

Zoro shook his head.

"Totally off the mark." Zoro laughed. "Yes, she is mine, but I quit being a Hunter because Luffy showed me a path to travel that would actually get me to my goal in life."

"But bro, you're already the best out here." Johnny said.

Zoro gripped Kuina's sword.

"Not the world though. And if I'm going for something, it might as well be the top."

Yosaku nodded. "That's our brother for you."

'Brother?' Gem frowned at him.

He looked at her. "None of us are actually brothers by blood, but we were all Bounty Hunters together for a couple years after I left the dojo."

She nodded.

 **xXx**

Gem looked up as the kitchen door opened.

"Hey everyone. Dinner." Nami called out.

Zoro stood up and helped her fold up the flag and she put it back in the storage room as they headed for the other deck.

She opened the kitchen door again and was greeted by not entirely unpleasant scents, but Nami and Usopp were not cooks.

She sat between Zoro and Johnny on one side of the table as the rest sat to eat.

It was somewhat unusual for the whole crew to eat together.

She was used to Rogers crew where they ate in shifts because the cook couldn't handle so many in his space at once.

This felt...more like family.

Zoro and Johnny helped her get a small plate of food before Luffy could get at everything.

She didn't listen as they talked about how Nami's cooking was better than usual.

She ate a couple bites before feeling full.

She had eaten more than yesterday, but not nearly as much as she once had on Rogers crew.

Being trapped for so long and living off the meager dried rations Mihawk constantly brought had made her unable to handle food anymore.

Johnny looked down at her plate as she stopped.

"Not hungry?" He asked.

Zoro sighed as he took the rest of her plate.

She had explained her lack of eating to him that morning.

"She was starved a bit while being caged before we found her." He said.

"How horrible." Yosaku said from Zoro's other side.

"You know what this crew needs?" Luffy asked out loud.

She was honestly worried about his answer. He had a tendency of being off the wall when it came to his ideas.

Granted, while his art was horrible, his design for the flag was good.

Enough that even after Usopp displayed his skill, the man had repainted Luffy's design onto their flag and sail.

They all paused to look at him, ready to deny an idea that sounded too crazy.

"We need a cook." He said.

Gem thought the rest of the crew was just as shocked as she was.

"Yeah." Johnny said. "Then you guys could have the best food in the world every day."

"If you get a sea cook then that's way better." Yosaku added.

"Come on, where are we going to find a sea cook out here?" Nami frowned.

Gem looked up at Luffy.

He looked proud of himself as he started finishing off the food no one else was eating.

She looked at Zoro as he seemed to think on the idea of finding a sea cook.

"Well, you could try the Baratie." Johnny said. "It's not too far from here. Maybe a day and a half with slow wind."

"You mean, the floating restaurant?" Nami asked.

The two Bounty Hunters nodded.

Gem started to get up, feeling a little sick.

 **xXx**

Zoro agreed with finding a real cook.

He watched Gem get up and head for the door.

Had she eaten too much for her body to handle?

Or had he been too rough on her earlier?

He excused himself as his old comrades started to help clear the table to help Nami with finding the place.

He followed Gem outside and saw her leaning on the railing.

"Feeling okay?" He asked.

She didn't respond and he watched her grip the railing.

She lurched forward and he reached to steady her as she threw up what little she had eaten.

He looked down at her neck and saw the glowing runes on her chain necklace.

It wasn't a necklace at all.

He had thought she wore them for show, on her wrists and ankles and neck.

But now he thought back to when she had revealed the scar she now hid with a glamour.

"Is it the chains?" He asked.

She slowly dropped to the deck under his hands.

'The farther I get from the island, the more it hurts.'

"Why didn't you tell me?" He reached for the chain.

'Because you can't break them.' She said. 'Only Mihawk can take them off. It...was his deal with my people.'

"Then we'll hunt him down. I need to find him anyway." Zoro pulled her close.

'He traded my freedom for my life. You can't be mad at him.'

He felt her touch his hands.

He hadn't realized that he was gripping her shirt so hard as he kept her against him.

"Why not? He is causing you pain."

'It was the only way my people would leave me alone. I couldn't go far, and they repress both sides of my blood.' She said. 'I just...wanted to leave that place. See the outside again.'

She balled up.

"Can I do anything?" He asked softly.

'Just...hold me. The pain will go down after a while. It'll never kill me.'

He held her close until she fell asleep in his arms.

Nami came out on deck as he was carrying Gem back towards their room.

"What's wrong with her?" Nami asked.

"Apparently Mihawk put these chains on her to prevent her from leaving the island by causing her pain."

"Then we'll head back."

It was the first sign of real concern he'd seen on her face since she had kicked his blades to him back at Usopp's village.

Their first real fight as Pirates had thrown him off his game and he'd dropped his guard against an opponent he thought was down. He should have known better, but the man looked weak.

His swords got taken and Nami had risked getting hurt to get them back to him, afraid that without them he couldn't fight so well.

She was right of course, but he would work on that.

He shook his head at her words.

"No. I don't want to cage her again either. I'll...find some way to break these chains."

Nami still looked genuinely bothered by Gem's pain.

He carried Gem down to their room and laid her in bed.

He pulled his shirt off and eased her pants back off, knowing she didn't like to sleep in them.

She seemed to greatly relax as he laid beside her and held her.

It was a good half hour before that constant sign of pain went away.

He watched her brow relax and she sighed against his chest.

 **xXx**

Gem could still feel the burning of the chains just under her skin where they touched her.

Usopp had tried cutting them off yesterday, Zoro had chipped his primary sword by trying to break them, and even Nami had no idea what to do.

It was alright. They meant well.

And Zoro had come to care for her, which made her feel better.

She swung her legs from where she was sitting on the railing.

Luffy was getting put to work to pay off the damages he'd caused to the Baratie as they had found it.

A Marine ship had fired on them and Luffy had bounced it away.

Right into the restaurant.

Luckily no one had been hurt and the building was mostly fine except one section of wall.

It had been four days since she'd told Zoro about the chains.

Two since Gin had headed back to his ship.

Luffy had repeatedly tried to get that nice chef to join the crew.

In the past three days, he'd offered her free food at every meal.

She could never finish, but it was helping her build her strength.

"Hey." She heard the voice and looked down.

Sanji stood on the dockside deck of the Baratie holding a tray.

"You never came to dinner." He made a smooth jump up to the deck of the Merry and she turned to face him. "I missed seeing your beauty today. Miss Nami said that you weren't feeling very good."

She nodded.

He set the tray on the railing and pulled the lid off to reveal delicate fish with a caramel colored sauce, browned rice pilaf, and stir-fried vegetables.

She moved to get off the railing and he sat with her on the deck.

"Your captain keeps asking me to join, but I just can't. Doesn't he know how annoying it is?" Sanji grumbled as he held up his lighter to the cigarette he pulled out.

At first, she had questioned through Zoro about his being a cook and smoking.

He'd just laughed it off and offered it to her to fully understand.

Zoro had been hesitant about letting her touch it, but Gem was curious.

As she had taken a drag off it, she realized it wasn't tobacco.

It was a dried herb mix that was rolled into the papers. The smoke from them helped increase concentration and gave him a bit of a looser reflex. It relaxed him, but kept him sharper than normal.

His Vampire blood would have never let tobacco effect him.

She reached for the fork to try the meal he'd brought as he picked up his own fork too.

"What, no marimo guardian tonight?" He asked.

"I'm right here. And Luffy doesn't understand how annoying his actions are sometimes." Zoro said as he came up the stairs with a blanket.

He wrapped it around her as she ate a couple small bites of everything.

He sat on the other side of the tray between herself and Sanji.

When she handed over the fork, Sanji just grumbled.

"Seriously though? Do none of you try to keep him in line? It's like he's not even the captain." Sanji said as Zoro helped him finish off the meal for two.

Gem watched them, wishing that she could eat more.

Sanji uncovered a bowl on the tray, revealing chocolate pudding.

She sighed as she stared at it.

"Save any room?" He asked.

She nodded. He always delivered on deserts.

Zoro pulled out a bottle he'd brought with the blanket to her.

He set it down and Sanji picked it up to look at it.

"Huh, never would have pegged you as a decent brand drinker."

Zoro scoffed.

The two had a kind of rough relationship forming.

Sanji made snide comments about him being a freak of a Vampire by being so hellbent on a goal that would see him dead.

Zoro retorted back with comments about him being a lovesick cook.

Gem picked up a spoon for a couple small bites of pudding.

"You know, it's not really the crews job to dictate the captain." Zoro said as he took the spoon from her.

Now she was full.

"Still, at least try to get him to see reason. I can't leave this place yet. I've got plenty to still pay back to that ornery old bastard." Sanji said as he took a couple bites of the pudding while Zoro popped open the bottle he had brought.

He offered the bottle to Sanji first and Gem watched the cook take it.

"Only because it's a good brand."

"And you secretly do want to be friends." Zoro grinned after the other Vampire took a drink.

Sanji scoffed as he held the bottle back out.

"In your dreams mutt."

"Oh I don't dream about you, that's for damn sure."

Gem looked at him as he looked down at her.

"Of course not." Sanji said. "Not when you've got a beautiful woman to sleep with."

Zoro glanced at him as Gem wrapped the blanket around herself tighter.

"Jealous?"

 **xXx**

Zoro watched him scoff again.

"Of you? Not hardly."

He watched him glance at Gem.

So that's how he played.

Zoro held the bottle out again.

"No, I've got other things to finish for tonight." Sanji started to get up to leave.

"You're into both sides aren't you?"

Gem frowned as Sanji hesitated in grabbing the tray.

He was right.

But by his actions, he'd have to say Sanji was more one than the other.

"As if. I happen to enjoy a pretty lady on my arm."

Zoro laughed.

"Alright, I'm just yanking your chain."

"That isn't very funny." Sanji jumped over the railing. "Stupid mutt."

Zoro listened to him leave.

'Why do you do that on purpose?'

"It's fun. He's easy to rile. Plus, I think his lovesick cook thing is hilarious."

'You're mean.'

He got up and picked her blanket bundled self up.

"You love me anyway." He started carrying her down towards their room.

He almost stumbled as she snuggled into him.

'I suppose I will still love you even if you are mean.'

Her words hit him like a bullet to the head.

He had to actually concentrate to go down the ladder.

"Well, I guess I'll still love you even if you go insane." He said as he opened the door to their room.

The past six days together had seemed like so much longer.

She was almost finished with the flag, he was honestly half in love with her just between their conversations while she worked and the things they did in his room at night.

He laid her on the bed and she pushed the lighter blanket to the side to pull her pants off.

No, he was pretty much a goner already.

He didn't want to lose her.

She had opened him up to his Vampire nature, allowed him to drink her blood, and seemed to care for him despite his dedication to his training and goal.

She pulled the main blanket back and he quickly stripped off his shirt.

He climbed in beside her and moved to brace himself over her.

Gem looked up at him as he leaned down to kiss her.

He tugged her shirt off.

She wasn't in pain, but he moved gently anyway.

He didn't want to hurt her in any way.

She ran her hands over his sides, moving down to his waist.

"Do you want to?" He asked.

She nodded.

Zoro let her ease his pants down slightly as he reached between them to tease her.

She closed her eyes and her hands trembled as she tried to push his pants far enough to free him.

Hell, just looking down at her body had him hard.

No preparation needed for him.

His actions had her wet and dripping as he felt her on the edge already.

He loved how he could get her just by teasing and playing and whispering to her.

She had that soft flush to her skin and he positioned himself to slide into her as he kissed her.

She was warm and willing as he slowly moved over her.

His breath hissed from him as she raked her nails over his back.

A wound on the back was a swordsman's shame, but he'd bear these marks proudly.

He leaned to kiss her as he drove into her harder.

She angled to meet him as he felt the warm chains on her wrists touch his skin.

She cried out and he froze.

"Does it hurt?" He asked.

She nodded.

He didn't care that he was close himself.

He reached down to tease her enough to distract her from the pain of the chains again and when she came, he pulled out of her.

'What about you?' She asked.

He could hear the pain in her voice in his head.

"I'll be fine. Just let me hold you through this." He sighed as he turned onto his side.

He had really wanted her to not feel it today.

Those chains touched his skin and he could feel their heat.

Under her skin was at least twenty times worse.

 **xXx**

Gem could barely stand the pain this time. The longer and farther she got from the island, the more it hurt.

As much as she wanted to stay with him, she wasn't sure she could withstand this burning.

It was like having her throat torn open all over again, this time with her wrists and ankles thrown in too.

Zoro held her tight and she realized he could feel a fraction of the burning from the chain touching him.

She tried to pull it all away, but he tangled his legs with hers and held her hands against him anyway.

"Don't pull away from me Gem. I'm not weak. I wish I could take this for you, I really do." He said.

She didn't doubt that for a second.

It was several minutes before the pain faded away again.

"Better?" He asked.

She took a breath back into her abused throat.

'Yes.' She said. 'I'm sorry for this. I tried to ignore it.'

"Baby it's nothing to ignore. I don't like you being in pain."

He turned to his back to pull her over him.

She settled herself against him and he slid back into her.

She braced her hands on his chest to give herself some leverage.

He groaned as she moved on him.

This position felt different than when they took a bath together several days ago.

It hit points that she had never felt before.

So far, no time with him had been the same. Or bad.

He was good.

He had said it before, that she seemed made for him.

She joked that because she was older, it was the other way around.

And he was indeed made for her.

As he reached to tease her, she held her wrist to him as he turned his head.

He bit into her wrist and the three sensations together completely drove away the pain from her chains.

She pulled away her hand and collapsed over him as he gripped her hips and shuddered as he spilled into her.

He didn't pull away like normal.

"I will find a way to get you free. I won't let you go back there unless we have no choice. And I'll stay with you this time."

She put her head against his heart.

'This pain is nothing compared to so long without love.' She said.

He held her as he kicked his pants completely off and pulled the blanket up to cover them completely.

 **xXx**

Zoro woke to her gone.

He started to panic a little as he yanked his pants on and stumbled out into the hall.

He pulled the rest of his clothes on before he reached the ladder.

He sighed as he saw Nami and Gem both being escorted back to the Merry by Sanji.

The restaurant was closed in the early morning, but he had been making them breakfast anyway.

Nami laughed at something he said and Gem smiled.

No, he wasn't into guys. Zoro just liked teasing him because he really did get riled easy.

He wasn't lying about that.

Sanji was amusing.

Plus, he was the first full blooded Vampire he'd ever met.

Johnny and Yosaku were already up and on the deck cleaning.

Anything to pay for everything the crew had done for them.

Zoro moved down to greet his girl at the dock.

"Ah, about time you got up mossball." Sanji said as he saw him.

Zoro flipped him off.

Sanji just laughed at him.

Gem came to him.

"Did you get something good?"

"Absolutely. Sanji made the best spread this morning." Nami said.

The cook blushed slightly.

"Only for you two my dear. Nothing but the best."

Zoro scoffed.

Gem looked happy though, so he couldn't complain.

"She ate a little more today. I'd say it'll be another week before she's back to normal meal sizes again." Sanji sounded more professional and Zoro looked at him.

"Thanks."

Gem held up a napkin bag.

Zoro took it as Nami led Gem up to the deck of the Merry.

"I said no, but you know those cute round eyes are really hard to deny." Sanji said.

Zoro unfolded the napkin to see a pancake bowl with fresh fruit.

At least the cook had some good taste.

He held it carefully as he leaned on the railing of the dock.

"You do make some good food though." Zoro admitted.

He took a bite and looked at the glow starting to settle into full day.

"Of course. Best chef on the northern half of the First Tier." Sanji put his back to the Merry and leaned a couple feet from him on the other side of the gangplank.

"If there comes any time for you to really consider joining this crew, just remember that my girl needs proper food. Nami too. Honestly, both of them are a bit thin. Gem hasn't eaten well in two decades and I'd say Nami hasn't most of her life either." Zoro said before taking another large bite of his breakfast.

Sanji snorted. "Way to guilt a man."

"Seriously, your talent is wasted down here. We're headed up." Zoro said.

"I've got my own dreams too you know."

"Like what?" Zoro almost finished the bowl off.

"I'm going to find All Blue."

Zoro laughed.

"Hey, it exists."

"I'm sure it does, but not down here." Zoro finished the bowl and dusted off the otherwise clean fabric napkin.

"So, I'll get out and find it."

Zoro dropped the cloth over his head.

"Not sitting down here. Cooking for a place that doesn't go anywhere."

Sanji glared at him as he started to get back onto the Merry.

But he saw the slight hint of acceptance in those dark honey eyes too.

He knew he needed to jump on a ship headed up.

Chances were high that the sea holding every fish was on the Seventh Tier.

Zoro went to go find Gem again.

 **xXx**

Gem followed Nami into the room she drew up her maps in.

So far, she had created a very accurate map of the First Tier.

Probably the most complete ever.

"So, I know you and Zoro have this thing going on, but please keep this a secret from them." Nami said.

Gem frowned but nodded.

The navigator took a deep breath.

"I am already a part of another crew. Arlong's crew."

Gem sighed.

She'd heard of the fishman from Mihawk.

The Shark was dangerous for this low level area. Most pirates were.

But strong pirates were especially dangerous.

He came from Third Tier and was far worse off than some in Second Tier.

"I really do love sailing with these guys though. Luffy is funny, Zoro can be aggravating but kind, and Usopp has a big heart but not much courage in it. These guys make me feel at home here, really." Nami said. "I'm so very close to one of my goals and then I'll be free to sail with them again. Do you think they'd forgive me for stealing the Merry?"

Gem frowned. She nodded.

They would once they caught up with her and helped her.

Whatever demons Nami faced, she just hadn't accepted that she didn't have to face them alone.

This crew would help. Usopp had already regaled about how the three of them saved his village even though they could have up and left them all to die.

No, Gem couldn't see these guys doing that to Nami, who fought beside them already.

"Thank you." Nami hugged her.

For a moment she didn't know if she should hug her back, but she did anyway.

"And when were were talking about losing people, I do know how that feels. I lost my mother when I was little, before all this mess started. Arlong promised that as long as I made maps for him, he wouldn't hurt anyone else in my family. So I agreed and made a deal with him. A hundred million for my town and he'd leave. I'm so close. I probably don't have much left to go after these guys helped me."

Nami looked at the window.

"Please, don't tell them. Not until I'm so far you can't see me anymore."

Gem nodded.

She couldn't tell anyone but Zoro anyway.

 **xXx**

Zoro looked up from their table as Gin carried Krieg in.

He felt Gem tighten against his arm at the sight of the hulking man.

He kept a hand on his swords as Sanji brought out food.

He almost drew as the man put Sanji to the floor.

Hell, even he would never do that to someone who helped him.

The shaking from Gem was the only thing keeping him from attacking on Sanji's behalf.

The man might not be a part of their crew, but he had helped Gem recover so much faster with the healthy dishes.

Krieg ordered the cooks to hand over food and an all out fight started.

Zoro moved Gem behind him as the guns went off in Kriegs armor.

The hell was that man thinking?

Several cooks were shot, but no one was dead.

Zeff brought out a bag and Krieg actually paled at his name.

So this man had sailed up to Seventh Tier and came back down alive and well?

The older cook shooed Krieg off the Baratie and the customers left all fled.

Luffy started to get pumped up for a fight.

"No way, you're going to go out to your deaths. Don't you idiots care?" Sanji asked.

"Sure, but I gave up a lease on life when I decided to go for my dream. If I'm not strong enough to fight for that dream, I don't need a life." Zoro said. "And the only one who can call me an idiot is me." He looked at Gem.

And her.

But she had already said she would support him.

He didn't need to worry about his life. He just needed to be strong enough to keep it and her.

He started to head for the door.

She tagged along with him.

Luffy headed for the door as well and Usopp followed him.

Zoro was just hearing the shouting of revived men when an ear shattering splitting of wood came.

He watched the huge ship in front of him break apart as some of the charging pirates jumped to the Baratie for safety.

Zeff gave out commands like a captain and Zoro felt Gem leave his side.

He reached for her as the huge galleon started sinking.

She slipped past him and nimbly jumped to the other ship.

He came out and heard his friends calling.

He went to help them up onto the Baratie as Luffy came out as well.

"What happened to the Merry?"

And Nami.

If they sank, then their adventure was over.

No way could they sail without a navigator.

Not him and Luffy.

"She stole it bro." Johnny said.

"Right out from under us." Yosaku added.

"And your boat?" Zoro frowned.

He paused as he saw a small boat with green burning candles.

"Right there."

"I see the Merry." Luffy pointed it out.

Zoro couldn't care as he saw the man he had been hunting for.

The one he now needed to beat sense into and get the chains removed for Gem.

 **xXx**

Gem watched a Pirate shoot at Mihawk.

She had caught his scent from inside the restaurant and needed to see him.

He had followed this huge ship just to finish wrecking it?

He turned to look at her.

No, he had come for her. The ship was a bonus to keep his skills and techniques sharp.

She hurried out as the Pirate was whining over Mihawk deflecting his shots.

She jumped from the galleon to Mihawk's boat.

"Are you ready to go back?" He asked.

'No, I found my other half. I want to be with him. Please take off these chains Mihawk.' She held out her wrists.

She heard Zoro shout from the galleon and glanced at him.

He held up his sword in a challege.

"That is your man?" Mihawk huffed a laugh.

'He's not always smart, but he means well and he cares for me. A lot. Please don't hurt him. I...I can't lose him.'

He sighed and patted her shoulder.

"Let me test him and see if he's worthy of you though."

She nodded and watched the fluid grace as he jumped from his boat onto the flat and wider surface of the tilted galleon deck.

"Alright young pup. A real swordsman would know the difference between us by sight alone." Mihawk said.

"I know you'd kick my ass a hundred times over normally, but I don't have time to lose." He said as he looked at her.

"Yes...I suppose you don't." Mihawk shrugged. "What is your name pup?"

"Roronoa Zoro."

"Alright young Zoro. I suppose I shall accept your challenge."

Gem watched Mihawk pull the dagger from around his neck and hold it up.

"Are you screwing with me?" Zoro actually sounded angry.

"No, I'm just not the kind of man who uses a cannon to hunt rabbits."

Zoro held all three of his swords for the first time Gem could remember.

She looked away as she heard him rush Mihawk.

She didn't want to see him get hurt.

It was bad enough listening to every clang as Mihawk stopped him every time.

She sat in the boat as the chains burned again.

But even the pain couldn't distract her as she heard the other Pirates gasp.

She turned to see Mihawk stabbing the tiny dagger into Zoro's chest.

"Why don't you step back?"

"Because I can't. If I step back, I lose. And I refuse to lose her. I'll never get back to this point in my life again if I step back even once."

Mihawk smiled as he pulled the tiny blade free.

Zoro stumbled, but he picked up Kuina's sword again and she watched him go into a stance.

Mihawk laughed as he tossed the little dagger and sheath to her.

She caught them as he pulled his infamous black blade out.

"I suppose I'll finish with this. A sword to match your spirit in greatness." Mihawk said.

'No please. Don't hurt me like this.' Gem begged him.

He sighed as Zoro moved.

'I won't.'

She heard him reply as he broke the two cheap blades Zoro was dealing with.

Zoro sheathed Kuina's and turned back to face Mihawk.

"You are a brave kid." Mihawk said.

"Well, wounds on the back are a swordsman's shame."

"Yes, quite honorable." Mihawk said as she watched him grip the sword differently than normal.

'I need him Mihawk. Please.' Gem said as the pain burned hotter.

Her blood ran cold as he swung and blood sprayed.

Zoro's chest was cut and he stumbled towards the water.

Mihawk turned back to face her.

'That young Vampire is more than dedicated, but he'd better damn well show that same level of dedication to you.' Mihawk glared at her.

She felt the tears well up as she couldn't move.

She heard his friends jump into the water to save him as Luffy launched at Mihawk.

'He did. Why Mihawk?'

"Don't be so hasty now young one. Your friend is still alive. I made a promise after all." Mihawk said as he dodged Luffy.

Usopp and Yosaku pulled Zoro onto the boat Johnny and Yosaku used.

"He's still alive." Usopp's cheer was genuine.

Gem moved to jump to the boat and she found the black sword in the side of the tiny rowboat Mihawk sailed in, blocking her from jumping.

'Stay.' He ordered. "Boy." He called out. "Come find me again when you grow stronger. I'll be waiting for you."

He jumped to his ship as she saw Zoro raised the sheathed sword from where he was laying on the deck.

She gripped the edge of Mihawk's boat as Zoro spoke.

"I'll accept that. And Luffy, I promise that I will never fail again. The future King of the Pirates deserves no less than the best Swordsman in the World right?"

She glanced at Luffy.

The captain grinned. "Yep. Now go on."

Mihawk smiled as he used the current to push away from the wreckage.

As soon as they were out of sight of the Baratie, he pulled alongside the other little boat.

Gem went to jump up, but he snagged her wrist.

"You've endured enough pain." Mihawk pulled out a rose from the small chest behind his seat and put the stem through a link on the chain around her neck.

She expected it to snap, but the metal chain did instead.

He repeated the quick maneuver on the other four and the chains fell to the floor.

She felt the power rise in her and reached for her link to Zoro.

Mihawk collected the chains and took her hand.

"You should keep these in case." He said. He tucked the rose in her ponytail. "And I think you're finally ready for that as well."

She nodded.

He braced his boot on the side of his boat and grabbed the higher side of theirs.

"Go on." He said. "I'll let your parents know when I visit them again here shortly that you're ready."

She nodded and moved to hug him.

He showed his softer side as he hugged her back.

She put her foot on the side of his boat next to hers and he held her hand as she climbed up, using his thigh to step up to the other edge.

'Thank you Mihawk. For understanding and protecting me.'

"Always Little Gem." He smiled as she leaned down over the edge and kissed his cheek. "Please stay out of trouble."

She laughed in his head as he pushed away from them.

'Never.'

He smiled as he drifted away.

She turned back to face Zoro.

His breathing was shallow and he looked like he was in so much pain.

 **xXx**

Zoro swore in his head as he felt her push a thread of her hair through his skin to stitch his wound shut.

He put his hand on her thigh as she sat beside him, occasionally squeezing when the pain hit harder.

He could hear Yosaku and Johnny being fretful, but it was strangely Usopp who was keeping calm through this.

He expected the man to be crying out that he was going to die and stuff.

It stung as she took another strand of her hair and formed a thick piece of gauze.

She instructed Usopp to hold it down as she used yet another of those long silky strands to make a bandage wrap.

As they passed it around him, he could feel that she was using more of her power than she should to keep him off the deck.

She kept the roll tight as she and Usopp worked to patch him up.

When she was done, he felt her set him back down.

'Rest now.' She spoke to him as she kissed him. 'Let my healing energy work on you.'

He sighed as she turned to lay beside him.

He eased his arm up enough for her to put her head on his good shoulder and her hand over the gash over his heart.

It hurt a little, but the bandaging she'd wrapped him in was warm. Soothing.

His pain eased away enough for him to sleep while they followed the direction the Merry had gone.

 **xXx**

Gem was going to kill them.

Leaving a defenseless man to fend for himself against fishmen.

Kuina's sword was quite securely tied to his hip, but his injuries were too severe.

She burned with anger from her position as the necklace around his neck.

The worst part was that while the pendant allowed her to see through the jewel eyes, she couldn't hear.

They brought him to the base of the fishmen.

She could feel him speaking, but things changed as Nami showed up.

She wanted to jump free, but Zoro had made her promise to stay hidden.

Mihawk had said to stay out of trouble and Zoro was going to ensure she did.

Nami spoke a little and she watched the girls face.

 **xXx**

Zoro looked up at Nami.

"Cold blooded witch isn't she?" Arlong laughed.

Nami's face momentarily reflected the pain in her eyes.

So that's how it was?

He was basically holding her prisoner here.

Zoro thought on his feet for a moment as they spoke.

"Just go away already." Nami scowled.

"Fine by me." Zoro pushed himself back, ignoring the pain.

The water splashed as he fell in and he felt the slight burning as Gem was pissed.

He looked up to see Nami dive in after him.

She looked at him for a moment, begging with her eyes.

Begging him to help.

He nodded and she grabbed his bound arm and pulled him up.

It must gave taken a good amount of strength as she got him up onto the stone again.

His wound felt like it was tearing open again.

"You idiot. Who said you could just die?"

"Some cold blooded killer." He grinned.

She kicked him.

"Throw him in the cell, I'll take care of him personally." He watched her storm off, dripping wet. "Stupid god damn Pirate thinking he can just do whatever on my watch."

The fishmen laughed at her outburst, but Arlong had them throw him, quite literally, into a metal doored cell.

He winced at the pain in his chest, but as he pushed himself to sit up, he felt Gem slip from his neck.

"Just check my wound and then go back around my neck." He whispered.

She looked sad and a little scared as she nodded.

Her tiny, cold hands touched the damp bandage and she dried him off.

Her chill seeped through the bandaging and he shivered as she pulled away.

'It's still pretty bad. You shouldn't do so much.' She said.

He leaned forward and kissed her gently.

She returned it fully as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He felt her heat surround him as she changed back into the dragon pendant necklace.

It was several hours before Nami came in.

Her hand was bandaged.

"Usopp is also out there somewhere. I tried to help him while he helped me." She spoke quietly. She moved behind him and cut his ropes.

She leaned her head on his good shoulder from behind.

"Please, I know Luffy is still coming, so just take the Merry and leave. All of you."

"You know we can't." Zoro said softly. "You're part of our crew. Our screwed up, strange little family of Pirates, not these guys."

He felt tears.

"But how much can you guys do? You're injured, Luffy is likely injured if he stayed back to fight Krieg, I know Usopp won't fight to the death like you two...just what can you guys do to help?"

He leaned his head against hers and reached up to ruffle her hair.

"Just put a little faith in us. We'll free you and this island or die trying. And I have an Enigma who won't let me die."

He felt her warm against his collarbone.

Nami sat back.

"But..." He used his own blade to cut the ropes on his ankles.

"No but Nami, just trust us." He said.

She nodded.

He heard one of the fishmen through the door.

"You alright in there?"

"I'm fine." Nami called back.

Zoro actually made an audible sound of pain when she hit his bad shoulder.

She repeated it a couple more times before he held his hands behind his back and fell over again.

He winked at her as she stood up.

She looked unsure as she knocked on the door, but straightened as it opened.

He watched her leave, pretending to barely breathe.

It wasn't too hard of a feat.

Gem's bandaging dulled the pain, not the wound.

He waited until things outside got quiet again.

Then he pushed himself up and drew his sword.

 **xXx**

Gem couldn't believe he did all that.

He beat all of them after she deliberately told him to take it easy.

She glared at him after he finally allowed her to come free again after they had all met back up with each other.

He reached to hold her.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen, but it had to be done." Zoro said.

He stood up and turned to where the others were waiting.

"Stay here with Nami."

'But you could get even more hurt.'

"I'll be alright. I've got you after all."

He smiled and walked away.

She stood by Nami until the girl decided to stand.

"We have to go help them."

Gem nodded.

Her stupid swordsman was going to get himself killed.

They made their way to Arlong Park and the crowd moved to let them see.

Johnny and Yosaku both stopped Gem from entering.

"Let them handle this."

She stared as Zoro defeated Hachi fairly easily.

She turned away.

He was fine.

She closed her eyes and began to focus power into the bandaging as things went a little worse for them.

She ignored everything else, trying to ensure Zoro would live.

She opened her eyes again as Nami grabbed her wrist.

Gem turned to see Zoro held by his throat.

When had that happened?

How long had she been transed?

She watched in fear and pain as Arlong laughed at his captive.

"Ready to die?"

"You can't kill me." Zoro scoffed.

"Seems like something already tried. Lets let everyone see what's under that bandage. A tiny scratch no doubt?"

Zoro huffed and Gem felt his pain through their link as Arlong tore off bandaging and stitching with it.

The wound bled freely.

She clenched her fists as Zoro glared down at Arlong.

"What is this?" Arlong muttered. "How can you still be standing?"

"What? Going to admit a human is stronger than you?" Zoro taunted.

Gem was just about to go in and make Arlong release him when Luffy shot out of the water and reached to grab Zoro.

She wasn't sure who she wanted to kill as he yanked Zoro roughly out of the fishman's hand.

She settled for saving Zoro as she used her Draconian wings and speed to go over the water.

 **xXx**

Zoro was hovering on the edge of consciousness as he fell towards the water.

He saw a flash of black and opened his eyes again.

Suddenly Gem was there, in her full Draconian form.

A graceful cut of her wings had her under him, with him laid out on her back.

He shifted slightly to brace his hands against her wing joints as he settled along her back.

She dropped towards the water and he heard the sound of her claws skimming the water.

"Thanks."

'I told you you'd get hurt.' She snapped. 'You didn't listen. You never listen to anyone.'

He heard the words, but heard the fear too.

As she let herself glide back to shore, he closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He brushed his hand along her wing to feel the tight muscle under his fingers.

'I...I promised I wouldn't get in your way, but I won't watch you do this again either.'

"I know, and I'm sorry. I really thought I could handle it since your power was dulling the pain."

She came to a smooth stop and he groaned at the feel of her walking.

The shifting of her shoulder set his wound off again.

He looked up as the building in Arlong park came down with a cloud of dust and a rumble to wake the dead.

She turned her head as he saw Sanji coming closer.

"Great job." Zoro said.

"Yeah, thanks for being a decoy." The cook said.

He looked at Gem.

"This is..."

"Gem, yes. Didn't you know? She's Draconian and Enigma." Zoro said.

"Ah. I figured it was her. No Dragon could really look that beautiful."

She rumbled loud enough to draw a couple people's attention from the crowd.

Luffy was being cheered, but as he saw Zoro, he came to her side.

She growled as he reached out.

"I think she gets the idea that I'm kind of hurt captain." Zoro winced as her shifting on her feet made him move again.

He turned his head enough to see the doctor coming through the crowd, being pulled along by Nami.

"Is there anything you can do?" She asked him, motioning to Zoro.

He sighed.

"A bit, but not here. Take him to my house."

Zoro held back his noise as Gem carefully walked to the village with Nami beside her.

He felt Nami touch his hand.

"Thank you Zoro, really."

He turned enough to see a genuine smile on her face as she squeezed his hand.

"No problem." He mumbled.

"No, thanks to you guys, I'm finally free. We are free." She said.

"Yeah, I guess you are." He faced the clouds above him again and closed his eyes.

 **xXx**

Gem held his hand as she used her healing power to keep this as painless as possible for him.

She could tell by how tight he held her hand that it wasn't entirely helping.

The doctor put in the last stitch, even and tight with the rest and she lifted Zoro from the bed enough for the older man to begin wrapping the bandaging she had prepared around his wounds.

"Alright, this is the best I can offer. We have nothing for Vampires for pain. Everyone here is human."

She shook her head as she laid Zoro down again.

"I'll be fine after some rest." He said.

The doctor nodded and started to leave.

"I'll send one of your friends in with some food later when it's all here."

Gem nodded.

She helped Zoro move over enough for her to climb up on the bed and lay beside him.

He sighed as she carefully put her head on his good shoulder.

She sank her healing power into him as she laid her hand over his heart.

He winced before relaxing at the warmth.

 **xXx**

Zoro woke to much less pain than usual.

He started to sit up, leaving Gem on the bed beside him.

"She hasn't left your side you know." He heard Sanji from the side of the room.

The other Vampire was sitting on another bed.

"I figured." Zoro nodded.

"She even fed you while you were fever delirious this morning. I swore you would fight it, but it didn't take much for her to convince your Vampire mindset to bite her. And she got you to drink the soup I brought you."

"Thanks." Zoro sighed as he looked at the blond man.

"Don't thank me, she ordered me to. I'm simply unable to resist a woman's tears."

Sanji slid from the bed and headed for the door.

"You know, you should consider how your actions are going to affect her."

Zoro groaned as he stood up. "I know. I'm irresponsible and headstrong."

"Your words." Sanji shrugged as he left.

Zoro turned to face Gem.

She looked so soft and sweet laying there.

He leaned over her slightly and tilted her face to kiss her.

She made a mewling noise as she reached across the bed.

When she didn't touch him, she opened her eyes.

"Hey baby." He looked down at her.

She gave him a soft look until she reached to check his bandaging.

She sighed and he moved back to let her sit up.

'Are you alright? Does it hurt?'

He titled his head to the side.

"Not really. I feel pretty good for someone so beat up."

She frowned at him as she slid from the bed.

'It seems pretty good so far.' She said.

He nodded as he collected his sword and tucked it into place.

He started for the door and she followed on his heels.


End file.
